Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew H.
Cars were an improvement over the trolley in almost every way. Unedited books are worse in every way.
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Obviously, it depends on how you look at it: Major personal investment to buy and maintain a vehicle; licensing; security against theft, damage and loss (hey, that's like DRM!); oil-based economy; traffic; pollution; fast-food culture; obesity and ill-health from lack of exercise. The way I see it, cars aren't better than busses in every way... they've contributed significantly to the erosion of American culture and infrastructure.
The same can be said about unedited books: The assumption that no author can edit their own book and create a good product is simply ludicrous (not to mention the unspoken corollary that every pro editor will produce silk from a sow's ear). Every touch of an editor removes a bit of an author's voice, and substitutes the editor's own. Editors homogenize... not usually a positive when considering creativity.
As I said, there's no reason to expect editors to go away. But the decentralized publishing and communications industries will survive largely without them, having winnowed itself down to the few who can do the work effectively without their aid, and those who move on because they can't stand the heat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew H.
I don't know how many will be employed, but the sale of edited books will trounce the sale of unedited books.
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That will happen because the centralized industries have the monetary resources to get their product out front at the major distributors. Random House could sell a hell of a lot more than me, if they didn't have a single editor on staff, just because they can afford product placement fees.
Whereas I could have the greatest editor in the country working for me, but without advertising and product placement, struggle to sell 20 books.